Mark Shapiro On Blue Jays’ Deadline Approach

Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro discussed the Blue Jays’ plans for the upcoming trade deadline in a chat with Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. You’ll want to read the entire piece for all of Shapiro’s comments and Davidi’s analysis, but the key takeaway is that Toronto still isn’t looking to pursue a drastic roster overhaul.

Less than two weeks ago, GM Ross Atkins declared that the team was still “very much in it.” At the time, he noted, “we can’t climb back into one of those holes, because there’s not as much time left.” But that’s just what has happened since; even after a victory today, the Jays sit seven games under .500 — well off the pace in the AL East and on the fringes of the Wild Card picture.

While Shapiro acknowledges that the team’s moribund first half must weigh into the equation, he hinted that the team won’t undertake a significant sell-off. The veteran baseball executive emphasized “the incredible support in the fanbase” and the existence of “enough of a base of talent here to still contend.”

Those factors, Shapiro suggests and Davidi highlights, leave the team still looking to get better now as well as in the future. Shapiro framed the coming deadline as just “one window of opportunity for us to improve the team.” Still, as one might expect, Shapiro says “it’s highly unlikely” the club will pursue “rental-type guys.” And he stressed that there’s a “need to be open minded to how we get better.”

That could suggest a pursuit of deals that aren’t readily classified either as “buying” or “selling,” in the traditional sense, Davidi writes. Shapiro did acknowledge that, “how we’re situated at the moment might cause for one transitional period” in compiling a sustainable contender. But, he said, “I still believe we can get through that transition in an expedited time frame.”

It’ll be interesting to see what particular opportunities the Jays end up pursuing in earnest. The organization is in a tricky spot given its slate of significant commitments, numerous areas for potential improvement, and stated intention to continue attempting to field a competitive roster while also building a broader talent base.

Toronto entered the year with a club-record payroll of over $160MM and will owe something on the order of $85MM next year to just five players (with the exact figure depending upon Josh Donaldson’s surely massive arbitration salary). Yet just two hitters (Donaldson and Justin Smoak) are carrying above-average OPS figures on the year, while the rotation has scuffled with Aaron Sanchez shelved for an extended stretch.

As ever, veterans on short-term contracts represent the most obvious trade chips. But starters Marco Estrada and Francisco Liriano have struggled, bounceback reliever Joe Smith is on the DL, and veteran slugger Jose Bautista has not rebounded as hoped. (To the contrary, Bautista’s legendary plate discipline is now heading in the wrong direction even as his power continues to dip.)

While some of those players will hold some appeal at the deadline, none seem likely to return truly significant young talent. And as Davidi writes, the organization doesn’t exactly have “replacements ready and waiting in the minor-leagues.” Trading away more significant assets — particularly Donaldson, the team’s star third baseman — would represent a much more drastic step that doesn’t appear to be under consideration at present.

I don’t necessarily disagree, but it’s not like he’s separating himself from other trade targets, thus if he gets traded it will be in a market flooded with similar players and only so many interested buyers. His K/BB rate is a bit unnerving too. I’m not a Jays fan, so I don’t follow them faithfully which means I might be a bit off target, but they shouldn’t expect a prospect in any top org 20 I’d imagine.

AA screwed the Jays big time and left before he gets any of the blame. Stripped the system of all its elite prospects and gave the team 2 of the worst contracts in baseball. Its going to be hard for the Jays to turn things around any time soon when their best prospects are 19 years old (Vlad and Bo) and the current core only includes Sanchez, Stroman and Osuna. Any one else good and sub-30 are often injured or in the mid bullpen. Shapiro not signing EE and refusing to give Tista more than 1 year is a blessing.

I think at this point they have to trade happ and Estrada and probably Donaldson. Estradas had a rough month but other teams will hopefully see that he’s been one of the best playoff performers in the entire league and can revert back to how he was pitching earlier this season.

Well, finally Shapiro coming clean on his unwillingness to do the things necessary to win now or rebuild. He wants to be in control and stay the course. What a waste. This core will not be better next year, it is old and can only get worse. As I said in spirng training, this team will not compete this year and now I say it won’t compete next year without significant improvements. I for one am fed up of Shaprio’s strategy. It didn’t work in Cleveland until he left and others were willing to make the big trades and signings necessary.

Either trade the Vlad’s and Bo’s for non-rental types [like a Donaldson] or blow it totally up now. There is no “status quo” in between.

Losing EE was a huge loss of rthe Jays. This lineup is no longer scary. Tulo is sinking fast unless he makes adjustments. An immediate wholesale selloff is necessary or we will see years and years of non-compete. Don’t buy into the Shapiro KoolAid. Don’t think that theya re going to win anything for years under this strategy. This team will not get me buying a ticket unless something significant is done.

At least shop Martin, Tulo, Donaldson, Estrada, Goins, Bautista, Sanchez to see what is out there. I think that the only pieces that are untouchable are Pillar, Osuna, and Stroman. I hear reliable opinions that Sanchez injury woes might be tough to solve. I miss Alex Anthopoulous.

Shapiro knows what he is doing. Three good moves, Smoak,Morales, Bautista in off season. No one should believe anything he says. Jays have had 11 tries to get to 500 in the last month. They failed each time.

Depending on what other teams offer he will do the right thing. Jays have the most to offer to buyers and unless Sanchez comes back as an ace they will clearly be out of even the wild card race by end of July.

History shows that Shaprio can build a farm system but cannot make the big decisions capable of winning. Just analyze his 16 or so years in Cleveland. You mention 3 good moves but what about the ton of other bad moves like: signing Salty, selling Graterol, signing Latos, calling up Lawrence, signing Gavin Floyd, signing Howell, resigning Grilli, letting EE go, Drafting Sparkman, Not signing elite pitching in the off-season, calling up Valdez or Campos or Ohlman or Dermody or Coglan etc etc etc etc. All of these are bush-league moves, most performed awful.

If we are going to look at Shaprio’s performance, then let’s look at his entire body of work. No I do not trust Shapiro to make the correct decisions. He doesn’t know what he is doing in regards to building a winner now. Anyone can fill a farm system. We need AA back.

It is not Shapiro but placing Pillar or Travis at lead-off is just plain dumb. Bautista is the only one capable of batting lead off on this team. And that is on Shapiro for that situation.

He wasn’t awful, but one playoff run under him is pretty telling. He ignored the bullpen when our offense was one of the best in the league which made them miss the playoffs. You say he traded for Donaldson, but you’re also not mentioning his Miami/Dickey deals that turned out bad. And mentioning guys like Nola and Bryant doesn’t do anything. It was obvious they weren’t going to sign so it was just a wasted pick

Agreed. Nobody is going to give up two recent high picks plus a young controllable productive major leaguer for a year and two months of a good but not great 34 year old starter. Maybe one of those guys but not all 3.

Happ for Bregman is not bad. Bregman has not shown enough power for 3B. Marvin Gonzalez would be better. Happ just beat the Yankees 4-1 in New York. He would be a good number 3 for Astros.

Donaldson if they can get someone as good as Barretto for him than do it. If I were Astros I would go all in for Donaldson and Happ.
They are so loaded and young there is not room for all their minor league bats.

I like your thinking. Both Donaldson and Happ are good trade chips. Both with perform excepional if healthy. I think that the Jays can get a monster return for those two though. I would want a Shelby Millar type haul of prospects.

Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you. This team needs a rebuild and now. And to sum up one broadcaster about Smoak: “The jays only All-star entry who seemed to find it at age 30. I guess it pays to keep trying.” Yah right. That doesn’t happen in the big leagues without help. This game is far too difficult to play. And for those who say he never got a chance, give it a rest. He got 450+ AB’s/year in Seattle for 3 years.. A player doesn’t just figure it out after 3000Ab’s and 6 years in the majors. No, somehow at age 30, his bat has gotten faster and his eye hand co-ordination has gotten better.

Let’s watch his performance over the next 1 1/2 years to see what happens.

You’ve already had this stupid argument, no need to keep saying the same thing over and over again. But you do agree then that Yonder Alonso, Zack Cozart, Aaron Hicks, Logan Morrison, Eric Thames, Mark Trumbo, Sandy Leon, Adams, and Marwin Gonzalez are all on PED’s to? I’m sure there is plenty of guys in the league who are juicing, but God forbid a player figures it out, right. You have absolutely no proof and have showed this before

Empirical proof, gut proof, intuition proof, common sense proof, knowing how the game works proof, knowing Smoak’s history proof, knowing how juicing works proof. And I am not talking about any of those other players, so let’s leave them out of this “he is not juicing” pathetic argument..

You can juice up for power but not for Batting Average. Smoak always had power, he just seems to be seeing the ball better and not look overmatched. BA for Smoak,Alonso,Morrison does seem quite high but it is only half a season and none of these has experienced a pronounced slump yet.

I suggest that Smoak be a test subject over the next 18 months or so. Let’s watch his performance in the second half, because in the past he has started off well then declined significantly. One thing I will add is that a player can juice [legally] for batting average. The drug is adderall and works very well. I suggest googling adderall and toronto star for the article that was done a few years ago on it. It explains why it works so well. It is an amphedmine. 10% of all major league ballplayers are on this drug by doctor’s exception. That is a staggeringly ridculous figure. The norm in society is 5%.

Watching Justin Smoak succeed has been my favorite storyline of 2017, mostly because for months this offseason I read comment after comment on here from all the super-armchair-GMs that ridiculed his extension daily. Brings a smile to my eye, watching him rake as the rest of the team flounders in last place :’)

Wong or grichuk plus kelly, flaherty, weaver for Donaldson get it done? Gyorko to second gives cards lineup of carpenter, fowler, Donaldson gyorko, piscotty, yadi, Pham, Diaz. That might be the kind of move to give cards a chance of winning weak central

Kelly is going no we’re weavers not going anywhere wong and gruchik will probably go or possible Pham. Ya’ll probably see Gonzales or another prospect pitcher will go could see a few bp arms go that are out of options or Dejong could be another chip.

This sounds eerily familiar to how Shapiro was (mis)managing Cleveland in the years right before he bolted. Talking about buying and selling at the same time. All while being bogged down under a bunch of crappy contracts given to mediocre players.

Martin was AA and isn’t crappy, Liriano was to get prospects, and morales’ deal isn’t very good but it’s also not crappy. If anything, Tulo’s deal is one of the worst in baseball and that’s also AA’s trade

That Cleveland MLB run was for Shaprio was terrible MLB championship-wise, but when Shapiro left Cleveland the farm system was amazingly deep of prospects. He is a good leader and great at buiding a farm system. There is a job known as the “closer” in baseball, not on the mound, but in the front office. Pat Gillick took a while but he learned to do it well. That is to take a very good team and trade the farm to get the team over the top to be a winner. Cashman can do it well. AA tried it and did okay, not great. At least he got the Jays into the playoffs after years of Godfrey/Riccardi futility. I have not seen that skill in Shaprio and Co yet. And if this past offseason is an indicator, Shaprio and CO are still learning this skill and aren’t ready for the bigtime trades to produce a winner at any cost of prospect capital.